Rick Perry talks faith at Liberty University

While Pat Robertson was causing more trouble for himself, Texas Gov. Rick Perry was speaking at the Christian university founded by one of Robertson’s old allies in Religious Right, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who died in 2007.

Avoiding a lot of talk about social issues at Liberty University, Perry gave his Christian testimony. The AP reports:

“My faith journey is not as someone who turned to God because I wanted to,” Perry said. “It was because I had nowhere else to turn.”

He also brought a spiritual element to his recollections of the Sept. 11 attacks, noting that many of the students were just children on that day. “You’ve grown up fast and you know the presence of evil is real in this fallen world,” he said.

This is not the first effort Perry has made to connect with evangelical voters. It remains to be seen whether Perry’s story and candidacy will resonate with evangelicals specifically and Republicans generally. So far, it’s looking good.